Bumper arrangement with an adjustable covering for motor vehicles

Abstract

A bumper arrangement for motor vehicles consists of a deformation-resistant support, which extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and is supported with respect to the vehicle. A covering covers the support and has an edge portion with a deformation-resistant strip which is fastened at an adjacent body portion of the motor vehicle. The covering can be adjusted with respect to the adjacent body portion to be flush with the shell of the body portion by locally arranged clamping elements braced against a recess-shaped area of the body. The clamping elements are prepositioned and held at the body by screwable fastening members which interact with spreading members and which are operated from an interior space of the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A bumper arrangement for motor vehicles having an adjustable covering; a deformation-resistant support which extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and is supported with respect to the vehicle;   a covering means which covers the deformation-resistant support;   an edge portion of the covering means being provided with a deformation-resistant strip which is fastened at an adjacent body portion of the motor vehicle;   the improvement comprising: that the edge portion of the covering means is braced against a recess-shaped area of the adjacent body portion by locally arranged clamping element means;   the clamping element means being prepositioned at the adjacent body and held in position by operatable screwable fastening elements; and   the fastening elements interacting with spreading element means, operated from an interior space of the vehicle, to cause the spreading element means to apply a force to the clamping element means to cause the clamping element means to brace the edge portion of the covering means against the recessed-shaped area of the adjacent body portion.   
     
     
       2. A bumper arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the recess-shaped area for the fastening of the edge portion of the covering means comprises an approximately horizontally extending wall portion, an approximately vertically aligned wall portion, and a connecting, diagonally extending corner area. 
     
     
       3. A bumper arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the clamping element means is angularly shaped and has two differently aligned contact surfaces and a supporting surface, and wherein the edge portion of the covering means is braced between the supporting surface and a horizontal wall portion of the body portion. 
     
     
       4. A bumper arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the clamping element means is angularly shaped and has two differently aligned contact surfaces and a supporting surface, and wherein the edge portion of the covering means is braced between the supporting surface and the horizontal wall portion. 
     
     
       5. A bumper arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the supporting surface is provided with a groove-shaped profiling at a side facing the deformation-resistant strip. 
     
     
       6. A bumper arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the support surface is provided with a groove-shaped profiling at a side facing the deformation-resistant strip. 
     
     
       7. A bumper arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the contact surfaces and the supporting surface are provided as self-supporting arms of the clamping element means. 
     
     
       8. A bumper arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the contact surfaces and the supporting surface are provided as self-supporting arms of the clamping element means. 
     
     
       9. A bumper arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the clamping element means is formed by an extruded profile. 
     
     
       10. A bumper arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the arm of the clamping element means forming the supporting surface can be moved upward against the edge portion of the covering means by the spreading element means that interacts with the fastening element. 
     
     
       11. A bumper arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the arm of the clamping element means forming the supporting surface can be moved upward against the edge portion of the covering means by the spreading element means that interacts with the fastening element. 
     
     
       12. A bumper arrangement according to claim 3, wherein a protuberant positioning pin is arranged on one of the two contact surfaces of the clamping element means, and wherein the positioning pin is guided through an opening of the vertical wall portion. 
     
     
       13. A bumper arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the spreading element means is wedge-shaped and is inserted into a recess of the clamping element means. 
     
     
       14. A bumper arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the spreading element means is wedge-shaped and is inserted into a recess of the clamping element means. 
     
     
       15. A bumper arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the spreading element means can be inserted into the recess from the side and is secured against falling-out in the direction of the fastening element. 
     
     
       16. A bumper arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the spreading element means faces the recess at two sides, each of which has a groove-shaped molded-out piece which engage in trough-shaped groves of the recess. 
     
     
       17. A bumper arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the spreading element means faces the recess at two sides, each of which has a groove-shaped molded-out piece which engage in trough-shaped groves of the recess. 
     
     
       18. A bumper arrangement according to claim 13, wherein a stop is provided in the recess to limit the movement of a contact surface of the clamping element means upward against the edge portion. 
     
     
       19. A bumper arrangement according to claim 3, wherein one of the contact surfaces of the clamping element means is provided with a predetermined bending point which is defined by a recess and an opposite transverse groove. 
     
     
       20. A bumper arrangement according to claim 11, wherein a head of the fastening element is accommodated in the spreading element means and is secured with respect to torsion, and wherein a free end of the fastening element extends through the diagonally extending corner area of the recess-shaped area into the interior of the vehicle; and wherein a nut is placed onto the free end of the fastening element for bracing of clamping element means.